Island



(No Model.) 0. A. 2 Sheets8heet 1.

ELEVATOR.

Patented Ar. 20-, 1897.

(No Model.)

C; 2 eets-Shee ELEVATOR.

ATTY,

m: cams PETERS co. PHOTO-LUNG" WASHINGTON, 17. c1

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. HARKNESS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,1 15, dated April20, 1897.

Application filed November 27, 1896. Serial No. 613 ,480. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. HARKNESS, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to electrically-controlled elevators, that is,elevators the movements of which are regulated or controlled bypush-buttons or switches on the car in circuit with the devices whichgovern the motor.

The object of the invention is to reduce the element of danger incidentto entering and leaving an elevator-car by providing means coacting withthe door for preventing the actuation of the push-buttons or switchesfor starting the motor to elevate or lower the car while the door isopen.

To this end my invention consists of a device on the car for preventingaccess to or the operation of the switches or push-buttons, electricalmeans for operating said devices, and an electric circuit so arrangedthat when one of the doors leading into the elevator-well is opened thedevice on the car is actuated and the attendant is prevented fromoperating the push-button or switch. While I prefer to employ a normallyopen circuit which is closed by the movement of the door toward openposition for operating the said device on the car, yet a normally closedcircuit may be used, if desired, to produce the same results.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying (drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically an elevator-carprovided with push-buttons for controlling the motor, a device on thecar to prevent the push-buttons from being operated, a series of doorsclosing the entrances leading into the elevator-well, one being shown aspartially open, and an electric circuit connected with said device andadapted to be closed by any movement of one of the doors toward openposition. Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are enlarged views illustrating thatform of device for preventing the attendant from pressing thepush-buttons to start the car which is shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7show in detail another form of electrically-operated device foraccomplishing the same purpose. Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, illustratedifferent forms of electrically-actuated devices for preventing theactuation of a pivoted switch-leverafter a door has been opened. Figs.13 to 17 illustrate difierent forms of devices for preventing theattendant from operating a push-button, said devices being constructedand arranged to insulate the two contacts of the button.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, theelevator-car is desig* nated by A, and the corridor-doors which open andclose the doorways into the elevator shaft or well are designated by B,B, B and B a indicates the wires of an electric circuit which includes amagnet 19 of the solenoid type on the car and a suitable source ofenergy d. The circuit is broken at each doorway by the door, which whenclosed presses against a circuit closing device 0, (shown conventionallyin Fig. 1,) the said device being arranged to close the circuit in casethe door be moved toward open position.

' The push-buttons e 6, Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, are illustrated as twoin number and are included in electric circuits for electricallycontrolling the car-moving motor, a small portion of each circuit beingdesignated by f. Each button is on a metallic spring-strip e and may bepressed against a contact e to complete the circuit, both buttons beingmounted in a casing g, secured to the wall A of the car. In front of thecasing and in guides therein shields or guards h are mounted to slide toexpose the buttons or cover them.

In Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the guard h ashaving two apertures 72. to coincide with the buttons and the aperturesg g in the casing 9 when it is in a normal inoperative position, andFigs. 4 and 5 show the guard raised to prevent the attendant fromactuating the buttons. The guard is thrust upward, when the circuitthrough the magnet b is closed, by an armature b, pivoted to a hingedlever (7 connected at its outer end to an arm 5 projecting downward fromthe guard. Normally the armature is dropped, as shown in Fig. 3, andwhen the magnet is energized it is raised, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the guard is shown as entirely exposing thepush-buttons when it is depressed, and it is operated by a lever h,fulerumed at If and having a pin I) extending into a slot in the guard,said level being secured by a pin-and-slot connection to the armaturel). The end of the lever has a weight U, which is sufficient to raisethe guard in front of the buttons, while the armature is held upward bya spring 1), strong enough to more than counterbalance the weight, so asto allow the guard to remain normally below the push-buttons. \Vhen themagnet is energized, the armature is drawn downward against the stressof the spring I) to allow the weight to lift the guard in front of thebuttons and so prevent their being actuated. Thus from the foregoing itwill be seen that when the elevator-car has been broughtto a state ofrest beside a landing, and the corridor-door is opened, immediately uponthe first movement of the door toward open position the device on thecar for preventing the operation of the electrical means or push-buttonsis operated, and the latter cannot be actuated until the door has beenfully closed.

It is evident that my invention is equally applicable for systemsrequiring the employmentof a switch-lever such as illustrated in Figs. 8to 12, inclusive. The switch-lever i there shown, which is connectedwith one limb of the circuit, is illustrated as lying at an intermediatepoint between them, to which point it was moved to break the circuit andbring the car to a state of rest. The lever may be moved to impingeagainst contacts 2" i to start the motor to move the ear in onedirection or the other.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the magnet is energized to lift the armature againstits own weight to cause the forked end or guard 11' thereof to engagethe handle 2' of the switch-lever to prevent its being operated, whilein Figs. 10 and 11 the armature is held upward by a spring b and isthrust vertically downward to prevent the switchlever from beingactuated when the magnet is energized.

In Fig. 12 a fork b is held upward by a weighted lever h, which isoperated by an armature thrust upward by the energizing of the magnet.

I have also provided for preventing the operation of each push-button bya separate device,and in Figs. 13 to 17,inclusive,I have illustratedmeans for accomplishing this purpose.

The push-button c bears against the springcontact strip 0 and is mountedin a casing 70, being provided with a flange bearing against theinterior of the casing. The stationary contact I is mounted on the rearwall of the casin g and by pressing the button inward the circuitthrough the two contacts is closed as soon as they touch.

I provide means for temporarily separating the contacts byinsulatingmaterial consisting of a guard m, mounted upon the end of a rod m;operated by the armature of the magnet. In Figs. 13, 14, and 15 themagnet is arranged directly below the push-button and the guard israised against its own weight by the armature upon the magnet beingenergized, while in Figs. 16 and 17 the armature is operated to raisethe weighted end of a lever 92., fulcrumed at a and tending normally tohold the guard elevated for permitting the push-button to be freelyactuated.

In all of the herein-described forms of my invention it will be seenthat the opening of one of the corridor-doors causes anelectrically-operated device to prevent the actuating of the electricalmeans which control the movements of the motor.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any of the detailsof construction illustrated upon the drawings and herein described, asthey may be varied as desired; nor do I limit myself to any particularstyle of magnet, for though I have chosen to show a solenoidamignet foroperating the guard. or electrically-operated device for preventing theactuation of the electricalmotmr-eontrolling means, yet any other magnetmay as well be used. 4

It will be understood that by my invention any manipulation of the pushbuttons or switches is prevented, for although it does not operate tobreak the circuit connecting the buttons or switches with themotor-con.- trolling mechanism, yet it prevents the attendant frompressing the button or shifting the switch to start the ear. Hence whenI employ the term manipulation I mean that while the button or switch isstill in circuit with the motor-controlling mechanism it is guardedagainst being moved with the hands, while by stating that the actuationof button or switch is prevented I mean, broadly, that themotor-controlling mechanism cannot be actuated by the attendant.

I do not herein make specific claim to the device for insulating the twocontacts of a push-button when the door is open, as it is made thesubject-matter of claims in my copending application, Serial No.(313,475), filed November 27, 1806; nor do I herein claim any other ofthe subjects1natter of the claims in my said copending application.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,it is declared that what is claimed is- 1. In an elevator, a car, anelectric pushbutton device on the car for electrically controlling themovements of the motor, a movable door, and electrically-actuated meanscoacting with the door for preventing the manipulation of said electricpush-button device when the door is partially or entirely open.

2. In an elevator, a car, an electric pushbutton device on the car forelectrically controlling the movements of the motor, a movable door, andclectrically-actuated ll'lOttllS on the car and coacting with the doorfor pre- IIC venting the actuation of said electric pushbutton devicewhen the door is partially or entirely open.

3. In an elevator, a car, an electric pushbutton device on the car forelectrically controlling the movements of the motor, a movable door, aguard for preventing the actuation of said electric push-button device,an electromagnet on the car for operating said guard, and an electriccircuit including said magnet and arranged to cause the magnet to effectthe movement of the guard to prevent the actuation of the electricpush-button device on the car when the door is partially or entirelyopen.

4. In an elevator, a car, an electric pushbutton on the car forelectrically controlling the movements of the motor, a movable door,

a guard for preventing the actuation of saidelectric push-button, anelectromagnet on the car to operate said guard, and an open electriccircuit adapted to be closed by the opening of said door and includingsaid magnet, whereby when the door is partially or entirely open theguard is operated to prevent the actuation of .said push-button on thecar.

5. In an elevator, a car, an electric device on the car for electricallycontrolling the movements of the motor, a movable door, a guard adaptedto cover the electric device to prevent its being actuated, and meanscoacting with and operated by the door for operating said guard when thedoor is partially or entirely open.

6. In an elevator, a car, an electric device on the car for electricallycontrolling the movements of the motor, a movable door, a sliding guardadapted to cover said electric device to prevent its being actuated, andmeans coacting with and operated by the door for operating said guardwhen the door is partially or entirely open.

7. In an elevator, a car, an electric device on the car for electricallycontrolling the movements of the motor, a movable door, a

guard adapted to cover the electric device to prevent its beingactuated, and an electromagnet coacting with the door, to operate saidguard when the door is partially or entirely open.

8. In an elevator, a car, an electric device on the car for electricallycontrolling the movements of the motor, a movable door, a sliding guardadapted to cover said electric device to prevent its being actuated, andan electromagnet coacting with the door, to operate said guard when thedoor is partially or entirely open.

9. In an elevator, a car, one or more pushbuttons on the car toelectrically control the movements of the motor, a guard to cover saidbuttons to prevent their being actuated,

a door, and means coacting with and operated by said door for operatingsaid guard when the door is partially or entirely open.

10. In an elevator, a car, one or more pushbuttons on the car toelectrically control the movements of the motor, a guard to cover saidbuttons to prevent their being actuated, a door, and an electromagnetcoacting with the door to operate said guard when the door is partiallyor entirely open.

11. In an elevator, a car, one or more pushbuttons on the car toelectrically control the movements of the motor, a guard to cover saidbuttons to prevent their being actuated, a door, an electric circuitadapted to be closed by the opening of said door, and an electromagnetineluded in said circuit, and energized when said door ispartially orentirely open to operate the said guard.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 24th day of November, A. D.1896.

CHARLES A. IIARKNESS.

Witnesses:

MARCUS 13. MAY, 0. (J. STEOHER.

